Squanto

Squanto (1585-November 1622) was a member of the Patuxet tribe who served as a liaison between the English Pilgrims and the Native Americans of southern New England.

Biography
Tisquantum was born in what is now Massachusetts in 1585, a member of the Patuxet tribe. In 1614, he was kidnapped by English explorer Thomas Hunt and sold into slavery in Spain. He escaped, eventually returning to North America in 1619. He returned to find that his tribe had been wiped out by an epidemic infection, and he became the last of his tribe. When the Mayflower landed in 1620, Squanto worked to broker peaceable relations between the Pilgrims and the Pokanoket tribe, and he lived with the Pilgrims for 20 months and taught them how to plant corn. Squanto, who spoke English, also served as their translator, guide, and advisor, introducing the settlers to the fur trade. During a trading voyage through Cape Cod, Squanto fell ill with fever and died.